Battle of Otranto Bay

The Battle of Otranto Bay was a naval encounter between the Ottoman Empire and Italian States that occurred on 19 December 1702 off the Apulian Peninsula of southern Italy in the Ionian Sea. Making use of maneuverable galleys, the Ottoman admiral Limberakis Gerakaris captured two Italian vessels and sunk the other two.

Background
The mercantile Republic of Venice was known for its large navy that patrolled the Mediterranean Sea, protecting their merchant marine vessels that traded silk and spice in the Orient and Europe. When the Ottoman Empire made the dastard decision to declare war on Venice and attack their Province of Morea, they had taken the risk of fighting a large and powerful navy with their own smaller and less-powerful navy of galleys. But Venice was not the only threat they faced: they were also at war with the Italian States, who had one fleet under the command of Macario Gabrieli roaming the eastern shoreline of Italy.

Ottoman Admiral Limberakis Gerakaris, a former Maniot Pirate, took a chance when he led his 5-ship fleet into battle on 19 December 1702. Spotting Gabrieli's navy of four ships rounding the Apulian Peninsula, he intercepted the ships on the high seas and battle began.

Preparations
The Italian fleet deployed in a straight line, in a single-file position. Limberakis Gerakaris assorted his ships into a horizontal line, with the flagship behind his light galleys and lone galley. The Italians faced the threat of the Ottomans crossing the T, in which the Turkish warships could fire all of their broadsides on their lines, while they only had the frontal cannons of their first ship in their line. Gerakaris was a seasoned swashbuckler who knew about naval battle strategy, and he expected for the Italians to break and flee once he destroyed the tip of their line. He made extra sure that his ships were in full sail, ignoring the directions of the winds and planning to hunt down the Italian fleet precisely.

Battle
Gerakaris, aboard his 5th Rate frigate flagship "TCG Murad Hasan", instructed all of the other ships in the fleet to move forwards in their horizontal line, while the Italian Navy under Gabrieli remained in single-file order as they lowered their sails for battle. The Ottomans' galleys were naturally quicker than their frigate flagship and engaged first, and were able to deliver a broadside to the first ship before the next in line stepped up. Eventually, the battle became a pell-mell assortment of broadsides, with the ships crowded in the center of the battlefield. One Italian ship exploded due to a cannonball hitting the powder magazine, while another one surrendered. One of the Italian brigs attempted to escape, but it was destroyed before it could retreat from the battleground. With his fleet destroyed, Gabrieli remained on the battlefront aboard "RN Buon Consiglio", which was subjected to boarding by a small galley called "TCG Kafir Hajj". The galley surrendered, but Buon Consiglio fell soon after and Gabrieli was killed in the boarding. A final ship "RN Venere Armata", which had previously surrendered, attempted to flee but "Murad Hasan" gave a relentless pursuit and caught up to her, and captured her as a prize. With no losses, the Turkish Navy had destroyed the only fleet that the Pope put out to sail.

Aftermath
Buon Consiglio and Venere Armata were inducted into the Ottoman Navy under the names "Piri Reis" and "Suleiman", two 16th century Ottoman heroes. They were the first two brigs in the Ottoman Navy, as the Ottoman Empire constructed only galleys in their shipyards. Gerakaris eventually confronted a Venetian Navy and decided to withdraw to Piraeus in Morea to repair his navy, and the fruits of his victory were complete.